Weavers' Triangle: Historic Burnley landmark preservation praised

WORK to preserve one of Burnley’s oldest surviving educational establishments has been praised - as efforts continue to promote crucial future developments in the Weavers’ Triangle.

Engineers have shored up the former Habergham Eaves Parochial School, which is Grade Two listed and dates back to 1840, as part of the On The Banks initiative.

Once subsidence issues have been addressed then the school building will form part of the offices and leisure portion of the masterplan for the former cotton heartland.

And former Burnley mayor and historian Coun Roger Frost is happy to see such a storied landmark being safeguarded for future generations.

Coun Frost said: “The council has purchased the building and is carrying out this work to restore the building to what it used to look like.

“It was rendered at one point and this appears to have caused some problems within the building but that will be removed the original stonework will be exposed.”

The original school served the thriving cotton industry in the area - the sprawling township of Habergham Eaves’ once stretched up to the Burnley boundary, on the River Calder, just yards from where the town hall stands.

Last year, children from four schools worked with Manchester-based Indigo Planners, which is working the second phase of the Weavers’ Triangle overhaul, on possible ideas for the old school building.

Demolition has taken place of the former Dexter Paints premises, next to Kitchen’s Garage, but town hall bosses have confirmed that no firm proposals have been forthcoming for the general area yet.

Work is also progressing on a major revamp for the former Sandygate Mill, which will house major new offices for the Prince’s Trust.

And plans have been rubberstamped for a new square and footbridge over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, off Sandygate.

Burnley-based Dale Contractors are undertaking the refurbishment works on behalf of the borough council.